In 2026 we were honoured to have Professor Rachel Cardell-Oliver at
The University of Western Australia, present on the topic
"From Punch Cards to genAI - 50 years of computing in WA universities"
Abstract:
Perth is one of the world's most isolated capital cities, yet that isolation has proved to be a spur, not a brake, on computing innovation. This talk celebrates 50 years of computing in WA's universities, tracing a remarkable journey that begins with Dennis Moore's bold decision in the 1960s to give WA a world-first in time-sharing, through research achievements from computer vision to trustworthy systems that have shaped WA's digital landscape. The talk concludes by reflecting on what that history has to teach a discipline once again being reshaped, this time by genAI.
About Professor Rachel Cardell-Oliver
Rachel Cardell-Oliver is an Honours and Masters graduate of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Western Australia, and holds a PhD in formal methods for protocol verification from the University of Cambridge. She worked at the Cambridge office of the Stanford Research Institute International and the University of Essex in the UK, before returning to WA in 2001.
Her research and teaching span key developments in distributed systems and protocols, formal methods, sensor networks, data science, data privacy and computer science education. She has built systems to address the environmental challenges of understanding public transport use, reducing household water consumption, waste-water processing, measuring water use by native Australian plants, and understanding the performance of rammed earth for sustainable buildings in outback Australia.
Professor Cardell-Oliver was Head of Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at UWA from 2018 to 2026, is President of the Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia (CORE) and was elected as a Fellow of the ACS in 2024.
The distinguished 2026 Oration & 1962 Awards details
WHERE
UWA University Club
Entrance 1, Hackett Drive
Crawley WA 6009
WHEN
Wednesday 14 October
Pre-dinner drinks from:
6:15PM AWST
Event Start:
7:00PM AWST
EVENT PRICE
Member Concessional:
$121.00
Member: $165.00
Non Member: $187.00
**Dress Code: Formal dress attire**
The winners of the 1962 Prize and 1962 Medal will also be announced. These prestigious awards, sponsored by Professor Dennis Moore AM, showcase the best and brightest minds in WA and are a celebration of local talent, student excellence and the next generation of ICT Professionals.
Annual Dennis Moore Oration - Past Orators
Since 2012, to commemorate fifty years of digital computing in Western Australia, the WA Branch of the ACS has invited a distinguished scholar and researcher with a connection to WA to present a lecture on the leading edge of an important and emerging area of information and computer technology.
Press the play button to watch the short video of past WA Dennis Moore Orators and the topics presented
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